GOOD REASON

Paganism

The Nature of Paganism. It has long puzzled me that Pagans, who are basically Nature Worshippers, seem not content
to simply worship Nature, but in addition, or instead, have to introduce all sorts of Gods into their worship. Do they really
need to do this? It is often difficult to tell how far they believe in the actual existence of these Gods or whether they accept
that they are just imaginative personifications of Natural phenomena.

I could easily go along with a Secular Paganism that simply accepts that we humans are a part of Nature and should
fit in with its workings in a way that is not too disruptive. This indeed is the attitude of many people who are
environmentalists concerned with the way human behaviour has upset the balance of Nature, causing climate change and
extinction of many species. None of this conflicts with the findings of science, in fact it depends on science.

I could also go along with various experimental forms of human relationship or social structures that Pagans tend to
adopt, such as schemes of polyamory, or practices such as nudism.

Where I totally fall out with Pagans however is in their espousal of Magic. This is surely a plain case of self-delusion.
I know some Pagans who try to justify their belief in magic by using Carl Jung's concept of "Synchronicity".
But to me this is just as suspect as magic itself and largely nonsensical.

The Wheel of the Year. This is the division of the year into a number of parts, marked by celebratory rites.
The number varies, though eight is popular. I give links to various accounts:

Sources
Most of the above links are derived from Witchcraft and the Web:
Weaving Pagan Traditions Online by M. Macha Nightmare (ECW Press, Toronto, 2001).
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, many of the links given in the book are no
longer operational.